Electronic Circuit Breaker Pre-Assembly on PCB
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic circuit breakers are complex and difficult to install due to their numerous individual components, which complicates production and assembly, and often require large volumes for production.
Innovation Solution
A compact electronic circuit breaker design where the switching contact, tripping magnet, and tripping electronics are permanently mounted on a common printed circuit board, allowing for pre-assembly outside the housing and simplifying installation by reducing the assembly process to mechanical steps only, with the tripping magnet designed as a holding magnet to minimize size and energy requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the tripping electronics and switching contact are designed as separate structural units, then the circuit breaker can be produced in larger volumes, but the installation complexity increases and the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the tripping electronics, switching contact, and tripping magnet onto a single printed circuit board (PCB), creating an integrated assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate structural units, thereby reducing installation complexity while maintaining manufacturability through standardized PCB production processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the circuit breaker into two main parts: an integrated PCB assembly containing all electronic components and a separate housing. This segmentation allows the complex electronic components to be pre-assembled and tested on the PCB before final housing assembly, simplifying the overall installation process while enabling standardized mass production of the PCB unit.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple individual components are used for tripping electronics and switching contact, then functional flexibility is improved, but the device occupies more space and requires more complex assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional components (tripping electronics, switching contact, tripping magnet) onto a single PCB, achieving space efficiency through vertical integration. The compact PCB layout reduces the overall device volume while maintaining all necessary functional capabilities through careful component placement and circuit design.
3Productivity
If components are assembled inside the housing, then the final assembly is complete, but production errors are detected late and repair costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary assembly and testing of all electronic components on the PCB outside the housing. This allows production errors to be detected and corrected before final housing assembly, improving reliability by enabling early quality control checks while maintaining efficient production through standardized PCB manufacturing processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the installation process, reduces production errors, and achieves a compact and efficient spatial arrangement, enabling early detection of production errors and minimizing subsequent repair costs while maintaining effective tripping functionality for overcurrent, undervoltage, and overvoltage conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a tripping magnet, which acts on the switching contact via a tripping mechanism
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a compact electronic circuit breaker (1) that is simple to assemble. The circuit breaker (1) comprises an insulating housing (2), a switch contact (46) for reversibly contacting a load power circuit (26) to be monitored, a triggering magnet (24) acting by means of a triggering mechanism (30) on the switch contact (46), triggering electronics (25) for actuating the triggering magnet (24), and a circuit board (20). The switch contact (46), the triggering magnet (24), and the triggering electronics (25) are fixedly mounted on the circuit board (20) for forming a preassembled component. The preassembled component can thereby be inserted in the housing (2) as a unit.